OKLAHOMA CITY — Parents in Oklahoma must show proof of their child’s U.S. citizenship or legal immigration status when enrolling them in public schools, according to a new rule passed by the State Board of Education on Tuesday.
The board unanimously approved a rule to support President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. It still needs to be passed by the lawmakers and the governor.
Here are some important points about the suggested rule.
What does the rule ask for?
Parents or legal guardians must show proof of their children’s citizenship when registering them in public school. This can include a U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, consular report of birth abroad, permanent resident card, or another legal document.
The new rule will not stop students without legal standing from enrolling in or attending school. Districts must keep track of how many students do not provide proof of citizenship and report these amounts, without personal details, to the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
Why is this rule being suggested?
Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters, the head of education in the state, said the rule is necessary for schools to understand where to assign staff and resources.
“Our rule about counting illegal immigration is straightforward,” said Walters. “It’s to count how many students from illegal immigrant families are in our schools.”
About 90,000 people in Oklahoma do not have legal standing, including around 6,000 children who go to school in the state. This information comes from the Migration Policy Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C. that works on immigration policy.
How are people responding to the rule?
While the board was meeting, hundreds of students and protesters gathered outside the administration building to criticize the board’s decision.
The plan has faced strong criticism from teachers and civil rights groups and is creating fear among immigrants in Oklahoma, according to Rep. Arturo Alonso-Sandoval, a Democrat from Oklahoma City’s largely Hispanic area.
“The community is clearly very scared,” said Alonso-Sandoval. “I’ve talked to parents, and they all want to give their kids the best chances, just like any parent.” Parents are beginning to ask, “Should I take my child out of school?”
Javier Terrazas, a construction worker from south Oklahoma City with a daughter in elementary school, said he has seen that some parents are scared when they go to pick up their kids.
“Seeing the fear on the parents’ faces when I go to pick up my daughter,” he said while protesting the board’s decision. “Everybody is looking over their shoulder. I have never seen that before.
“It’s hard to see that.” “It’s very sad.”
At Oklahoma City Public Schools, one of the state’s largest districts, Superintendent Jamie Polk said in a letter to parents and staff last month — after the rule was first suggested — that federal law guarantees every child’s right to a public education, regardless of immigration status.
“OKCPS does not collect, and has no plans to collect, the immigration status of our students or their families,” she said.
What will Oklahoma do with this information?
Walters has stated that he will back Trump’s plans to enforce immigration laws, which includes letting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents enter schools in Oklahoma.
He repeated that on Tuesday, stating that the department is prepared to share any immigration information it collects with law enforcement.
“If a police officer asks for information, we have to give it to them by law,” he said. “We’re happy to give them any information they ask for.”
Walters has focused a lot during his first term on criticizing what he calls “woke” ideas in public schools. He is pushing for Bible lessons in classrooms and trying to remove certain books from school libraries.
What does the law say now?
In a 1982 decision called Plyler vs. Doe, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that children who are in the country illegally have the right to go to public schools. However, some conservative lawmakers have raised doubts about whether these immigrants should have access to public education.
In 2011, Alabama tried to make public schools check students’ immigration status as part of a new immigration law. However, after a federal appeals court paused these rules, the state decided to permanently stop them.
Immigration experts warn that efforts to challenge the Plyler decision should be considered important. They highlight recent Supreme Court rulings that have changed long-standing rules on abortion rights and college admissions.
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